EDQ Quarterly Newsletter Spring 2015 - Page 7

Blazing Trails:
Ticket-to-Ride event raises funds and awareness for Firefly Trail
T
he annual Ticket to Ride event, a mass participation
bicycle event to promote creation of a 39-mile rail-trail
from Athens to Union Point, was attended by a record
number of cyclists this year. Over 215 attendees
suited up on March 21st, departing from the Jittery Joe’s
Roasting Company on Barber Street to show their support for
the proposed pathway. The money raised by the event will
fund outreach efforts to further the planning and construction
of the trail.
Athens was the first community to jump on board for the
construction of the Firefly Trail, including it in its 2005 SPLOST
and 2011 SPLOST project lists. Plans call for the trail to follow
traverse from Athens through Winterville, Arnoldsville,
Crawford, Stephens, Maxeys, Woodville and concluding in
Union Point. The exact route has not been finalized beyond
Athens-Clarke County’s borders, but the trail is gaining
popularity with Oglethorpe and Greene County residents,
according to Firefly Trail Inc. president Mike Hall.
Greenways and trails have significant economic impacts on a
community. A similar length trail in Virginia sees revenues of
2.2 million dollars annually to the communities it serves, with
1.2 million of those dollars coming from non-local visitors.
Trails like this draw in tourism and spur new businesses, from
service-related ventures like bike rentals and guided tours to
traditional tourism-related operations such as restaurants and
lodging facilities. Trails can often serve as the economic engine
for small communities. This was the case when the Pinellas
Trail, a 38 mile trail running from Tarpon Springs to North St.
Petersburg, Florida, was constructed through the small town of
Dunedin. At the time, downtown Dunedin was struggling with
vacancy rates at 65%. Within a few years of the trail’s
completion through town, downtown storefronts were at 100%
occupancy and the trail is now touted by residents as having
brought the dying town back to life.
Cyclists at the Winterville Train Depot.
Recent studies also show that trails have a considerable positive
impact on the value of adjacent property. Land adjacent to an
Oregon greenbelt was found to have additional value of $1200
per acre compared to land a mere 1000 feet away. A recent
National Association of Homebuilders survey found that trails
are the second most important community amenity for
potential home buyers, ahead of public parks and outdoor
pools. Many other communities have also leveraged these
trails for safe commuting alternatives, which make their cities
more attractive to the millennials who state that transportation
options as one of their top three factors when selecting a place
to live. According to Zillow.com, millennials are set to become
the largest home-buying bloc by the end of this year and their
preferences will dominate the residential housing market for
the next few decades.
These types of trails also serve as an educational tool, teaching
users about the environment and conservation of natural
resources. They often tie in historic preservation efforts, using
historic structures as landmarks along the route. Such is the
case with the proposed Firefly Trail, which could feature
historic train depots as resting places along the route, as well as
passing by numerous historic homes.
Athens is fortunate to already have in-place a 3.5 mile multi-us e
path constructed connecting Sandy Creek Nature Center to
Dudley Park and the campus of the University of Georgia. The
trail is managed by ACC staff and overseen by the members of
the Oconee Rivers Greenway Commission, who assist in the
overall design and planning of the trail network, as well as the
protection of the adjacent rivers and streams. The existing
greenway network and the proposed Firefly Trail will be
seamlessly connected, further increasing the transportation
and recreation options for Athens’ residents and visitors.
Cyclists at the starting line in the Jittery Joe’s Roasting Company parking lot on
Barber Street in Athens.
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